devenio

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [deːˈwɛ.ni.oː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [deˈvɛː.ni.o]^[1]

Forms

dēveniō (present infinitive dēvenīre, perfect active dēvēnī, supine dēventum); fourth conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from dē- “from, down” and veniō “to come”.^[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨veniō⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *gʷm̥-yé- (“to come”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Livius Andronicus, of arriving.^[2]

Semantic evolution

It meant to come to a destination, arrive, as in Livius Andronicus, and to land, fall into a situation, as in Plautus, and Cicero has in victōris manūs dēvenīre “to fall into the victor's hands”.^[2][4] In Cicero it also meant to have recourse to an expedient, to turn to someone for help.^[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to arrive at, reach.^[5] It survives in French devenir, Italian divenire and Romanian deveni.^[1]

Timeline

• 3rd century BC – Livius Andronicus uses it.^[2]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of falling into a situation.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of having recourse.^[2][6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To come, arrive.^[2]
2. To fall into (a situation).^[2]
3. To have recourse to.^[2]

Related words

• veniō
• conveniō
• ēveniō

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
6. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de